Most importantly, there wasn't any trace of black veins. Not a hint of disease.
If anything, she looked more breathtaking than before.
The guests fell silent. Some looked embarrassed. Others looked stunned. A few stared openly, unable to hide their disbelief.
What skin disease?
Compared to her, others looked wretched with makeup smudged, expressions strained, clothes rumpled from the night's chaos.
But Yeri stood there, like a water goddess stepping out of the depths.
Venice felt as if she had been slapped hard across the face that her fingers trembled.
Impossible!
The only explanation her mind could cling to was waterproof makeup, flawless to the point of deception. There was no other way.
But no matter how much she wanted to say it, she couldn't.
To accuse Yeri openly now would only make her look hysterical and petty, especially after everyone had seen the result with their own eyes.
Just as Venice was frantically searching for another angle, a firm hand closed around her wrist.
"Don't do anything outrageous," Nolan warned quietly, his expression calm but his eyes sharp. "Taking a step back is also a strategy."
His voice carried the weight of experience. After all, Nolan himself had spent a lifetime waiting patiently, scheming silently, enduring his brother while biding his time. He knew better than anyone when to advance and when to retreat.
Venice clenched her jaw, but she nodded.
At the garden entrance, Tristan had just arrived, intending to find Shin after hearing from Zoren Lin that he had come unexpectedly.
But the moment Tristan noticed the guests' collective gaze fixed in one direction, his steps slowed, then stopped entirely.
He followed their line of sight, and his lips curved faintly.
Apart from Shin Keir's sudden appearance, tonight could very well be considered Yeri's unofficial pre-debut into the upper class.
There was no other explanation for the way attention gravitated toward her so naturally.
Her succubus lineage, subtle yet undeniable, could no longer be concealed. She didn't need to speak or move; merely standing there was enough, her presence bewitching.
Men in particular were openly gawking, their gazes lingering far longer than was polite. Some didn't even bother to hide it.
Tristan sighed inwardly, with Shin Keir standing so close, radiating unmistakable possession, Tristan had no intention of stepping into the garden. The last thing he needed was Shin misunderstanding his presence and assuming he, too, was attracted to Yeri.
That would be troublesome.
Turning away, Tristan's gaze caught sight of Calin Ricci standing near the edge of the hall.
Earlier, she had been playing her role perfectly, smiling, conversing, circulating through the guests alongside Bryce Gate. But ever since Shin Keir arrived, Bryce was nowhere to be seen.
Tristan approached her casually.
"Your fiancé?" he asked, his tone light.
Calin flinched, clearly not expecting him. She recovered quickly. "He went to discuss business with someone."
Tristan hummed noncommittally and reached for a glass of wine from a passing waiter.
Calin's eyes followed the motion unconsciously.
"You know who he is," Tristan said calmly. "Are you sure he's worth taking the risk?"
Calin stiffened. Her fingers tightened around her glass. Of course she knew exactly who he meant.
Is this a warning?
"If I don't take the risk," she shot back coolly, "will you help me then?"
Tristan shrugged, unfazed. "Just consider this advice from someone in the same circle." He took a sip of wine. "Don't be too trusting of someone who knocks on your door offering gold."
Calin chuckled softly, tilting her head as if amused. "I could say the same about you." Her gaze sharpened. "I think you're just afraid he'll ruin your plans."
Tristan raised an eyebrow, genuinely puzzled.
He had been warning her about Bryce Gate, about trusting someone whose background was anything but clean. What plan?
Moreover, Calin herself was well aware of his true identity.
But before he could clarify, footsteps approached. Another guest joined them, interrupting their conversation.
Calin smoothly excused herself, claiming she needed to find her fiancé.
As she walked away, her gaze drifted just for a moment toward the direction Shin Keir and Yeri Zhi had already left together.
All around her, the air buzzed with speculation.
Who was Yeri Zhi?
What was her relationship with Shin Keir?
Why was he giving her such blatant, unmistakable special treatment?
Was she the mysterious fiancée rumored to be hidden from the public eye? And if she wasn't, did Shin Keir's fiancée know he was standing so close to another woman?
Calin's lips pressed into a thin line as she listened.
Whatever tonight had begun, she knew one thing with certainty. Yeri Zhi had just stepped onto a stage far larger and far more dangerous.
Calin's eyes darkened, a venomous glint flashing through them.
The first step of her plan had been a success.
Pulling strings to ensure Leo Nafplion's presence had been effortless. From the intelligence her people had gathered, Leo was mentally unstable and harbored a disturbingly obsessive fixation on Yeri. It came as no surprise that the moment Leo saw Yeri, he caused a scene.
That chaos had been necessary. Yeri drawing attention at tonight's banquet was fully within Calin's expectations.
She would let her bask in the spotlight, be admired, whispered about, coveted by the elite, and openly favored by Shin Keir. Let her be pampered, protected, placed on a pedestal so high everyone could see her.
The higher she climbed, the harder she would fall.
And Tristan?
Calin scoffed inwardly. What a hypocrite.
She knew exactly what he was worried about.
In truth, when Bryce Gate had suddenly approached her with the proposal of becoming his fiancée, she had been both wary and stunned. His offer was far too convenient.
Just as Tristan had implied, Bryce's true target was Shin Keir's status and identity.
If she accepted Bryce's offer, she would be standing on the opposite side of Shin Keir. But if Bryce succeeded… Wouldn't the outcome still be the same?
She would become the wife of the richest man in their nation. Live the status, power, and security she always wanted. The ending would be the same even if he wasn't Shin Keir.
So why refused?
As for Yeri, the investigation conducted by her father's assistant had only confirmed Calin's suspicions. Yeri had known Shin Keir long before her debut banquet. And more importantly, Yeri had been there that day at the hospital.
She had heard everything. Calin's humiliation, her desperation, her pain when Shin Keir had coldly refused her. The memory alone made Calin's blood boil.
How could she possibly let that pass and ignore Yeri?
In Calin's mind, Yeri must have been mocking her silently, smiling to herself, flaunting her relationship with Shin Keir while wearing that pure, innocent façade. All the while fully aware of Calin's feelings.
It was unforgivable!
Backed into a corner, Bryce Gate's appearance had come at exactly the right time. He could give her what she needed: protection, status, and wealth. Enough to shield her while she clawed her way upward.
In this gamble, she believed she made the right decision.
Calin exhaled slowly, her heart finally settled.
Moreover, tonight had revealed something decidedly in her favor. A good harvest.
From the earlier commotion alone, Calin had already gleaned a useful truth: Venice Zhi and her father, Nolan Zhi, harbored deep enmity toward Yeri Zhi.
Calin made a quiet mental note. That woman, Venice, would make a useful pawn. Or, if handled carefully, perhaps even an ally.
Lost in thought, Calin moved fluidly through the crowd, weaving effortlessly among the guests, her smile flawless and composed.
Then, unexpectedly, she met Allen's gaze.
For a fleeting second, something flickered in his eyes, unhidden affection, familiar and unguarded.
Calin's thoughts stalled for half a beat before she snapped herself back to reality and looked away. She had always known his feelings.
But what about it?
Unfortunately for Allen, sentiment alone could never bridge the gap between them. His status would never be enough.
---
Before the night even came to an end, Leo Nafplion's disgraceful behavior at the banquet had already exploded into a trending scandal across social media.
Although the media had only been stationed outside the Lin estate gates and were unable to capture the events within, they still managed to record Leo Nafplion's pitiful state being forcibly thrown out of the estate after causing chaos.
The Nafplion family acted swiftly, issuing an official statement publicly severing all familial ties with Leo.
Without the shelter of the Nafplion name, Leo's past atrocities, long buried and deliberately concealed, flooded the news and social platforms all at once.
Before, it only circulated within the upper circle and didn't cause a big stir when someone reported it.
Now photos, videos, confidential files, chat records, information poured out in such overwhelming volume that even the most avid netizens struggled to keep up.
Overnight, Leo Nafplion became a pariah. He was despised, hunted, and virtually condemned by enraged netizens who seemed eager to skin him alive.
Reports detailed his history of addiction, bullying, and violence, not only during his student years but extending far beyond, exposing a blatant and habitual disregard for the law.
What truly ignited public fury, however, were the countless women he had abused, harassed, and raped, some of the crimes involving his friends as accomplices.
The case was massive and sensational so the authorities moved quickly. Police apprehended the implicated "friends," many of whom also hailed from influential upper-class families.
Sharp-eyed netizens quickly connected the dots. It became common speculation that Leo must have offended a true big shot, someone powerful enough that even the Nafplion family could not shield him anymore, forcing them to sever ties so decisively.
After all, none of Leo's crimes were recent. They had accumulated over the years. They were simply exposed now.
Naturally, the Nafplion family was not spared from public condemnation. Despite their attempts to distance themselves and wash their hands of Leo's actions, they were relentlessly criticized for having covered up his crimes for so long.
The Lin family, too, found no peace that night.
Zoren had already anticipated Shin Keir's pettiness, and sure enough, ongoing projects and pending collaborations with Hexion were swiftly canceled or outright rejected.
Worsening their predicament was the involvement of the Lin family's youngest son, who had been associated with Leo Nafplion.